Hokies find motivation as they prep for bowl

Norm Wood, nwood@dailypress.com | 757-247-4642

BLACKSBURG — As a starting defensive back for a Bowl Subdivision program, one of the fundamental aspects of playing cornerback Antone Exum’s position is the ability to have a short memory of positive and negative events in games.

He gets the concept, but it’s still hard for him to forget just how unsuccessful Virginia Tech was in the postseason in his first two seasons on the field.

Heading into Tech’s meeting with Rutgers in the Russell Athletic Bowl on Dec. 28 in Orlando, Fla., Tech’s players and coaches have varying sources of motivation as they prepare for one of the least compelling matchups in the Hokies’ 20-year bowl streak. Exum doesn’t have to go far to find incentive.

“If you’re a redshirt junior like me, we haven’t won a bowl game yet since we’ve been here,” Exum said regarding his actual time on the field. “That’s something that stays in the … front of our mind. We’re definitely motivated to win this game.”

Indeed, Tech (6-6) hasn’t won a bowl since December 2009, when it defeated Tennessee in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. Tech ended last season with a Sugar Bowl loss to Michigan, and Tech concluded the 2010 season with an Orange Bowl loss to Stanford.

Rutgers (9-3) hasn’t had nearly the same run of appearances in prestigious bowls that Tech had in recent years, but the Scarlet Knights have made the most of appearances in modest bowls.

With victories in the Texas Bowl, International Bowl, PapaJohns.com Bowl, St. Petersburg Bowl and Pinstripe Bowl, Rutgers’ current five-game winning streak in bowls is tied with Mississippi State for the nation’s longest.

Though this year’s bowl lacks luster compared to other recent bowl experiences, Tech is playing to avoid its first losing season since 1992, when it went 2-8-1. Tech coach Frank Beamer continues to be optimistic, based on what he sees returning to his program and the way he perceives progress in recruiting, but a win against Rutgers would provide an extra boost.

“I look forward to the future, but this bowl game is real, real important,” said Beamer, who is 8-11 in bowls with Tech. “To finish with three (consecutive) wins, that’s what I’d like to talk about with this senior class. They got us through some disappointment, and we ended up with three straight wins.”

Tech has used some of its early practices in preparation for the bowl to look at young players, like running back Trey Edmunds, who could help the team next season, according to Beamer. When Rutgers-specific preparation begins next Wednesday, Tech’s veterans will have plenty on the line.

Exum, quarterback Logan Thomas and defensive end James Gayle, a Bethel High graduate, could use the game as a final audition of sorts. All three have submitted paperwork to the NFL draft advisory committee to get a read on where they might fit into the 2013 draft if they decided to leave school early.

Senior right tackle Vinston Painter admits he needs all the exposure he can get. He’s only been a starter for one season.

“From what I’ve seen in practice, guys are approaching this bowl game as if it was a BCS bowl game,” Painter said. “The season didn’t go the way we wanted to. We had to fight to make our way to this bowl game, so guys out here are working hard to work on what they can control in order to ensure we do win this bowl game.”

Linebacker Bruce Taylor showed he could bounce back from the Lisfranc sprain in his right foot that caused him to miss Tech’s last six games last season. Yet, after switching from middle linebacker to the “backer” (inside linebacker) spot this season, he averaged fewer than six tackles a game for the first time in the last three seasons. He still has something to prove.

“What we had this year was unacceptable in my eyes,” Taylor said. “We did finish strong, won three of our last four or whatever and got to the bowl, but we know what we’ve got to do better. So, this bowl game, I feel like this can be the first step for the team.”